Independence

Asserting one's independence as one grows is a tricky thing. Perhaps one of life's milestones is learning to dress one's self. Concepts of color, cut and style might be overwhelming to some. Some master the art of dressing quite fashionably at an early age. Others find themselves still dressing horribly at an age when their hair is lightly brushed with shades of grey. Shoes are a fun accessory. Today Malachi gave me a fashion show. If you will please take note of his right shoe in each photo. He was very proud of his fashion find- even though they were girl shoes . . .a strappy sandal and a white tennis shoe.

Cambria is taking a bit more of a fashion risk. Yes, she did go to school like this . . . I wonder what the other parents thought of me . . .

Six year old

Happy birthday to the sweet little girl who made me a mother. Six years has neve gone by so quickly.

Kiera's actual Birthday

Of course we had to do something to celebrate the real day of Kiera's birth. Happy Birthday to my little 4 year old!

I love my little vanilla haired girl so much!

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It all started with a surprise . . .

My Mom and Dad and my brother Sean were able to come to our house to celebrate the birthdays, but it was a secret. We told the girls we were going to "China" to eat (because it is the restaurant they request by name) and low and behold Grammy and Pop were there too. It was a great surprise.

I'll spare you all the details of our party with 20 plus kids and just let you look at the pictures . . . ( 90% of the pictures feature kids with dirty faces) It was a great weekend and a great party. We are so grateful to the Reber family for providing the animal entertainment for us.

Okay, just a few details . . .
These were a few of the things that occurred:
1.) Miniature pony ride - poor thing was exhausted!
2.) Goat petting zoo
3.) goat ropin' on a metal pretend goat
4.) Cup cake decorating
5.) Present opening
6.) Lots of fun - big wide open yet fenced in park so we didn't have to worry about losing any kids- human or animal (one goat did get out of it's cage and the kids chased it like their lives depended on it!

Happy Birthday Cambria, Kiera and Savannah!

Gi-gi, Grammy and Papa bought the Cambria a new scooter, Kiera a new bike and Bubba a new bubble making lawn mower.

Oh, yeah. Malachi learned how to take off his shorts. He is very proud of himself. He thinks it is funny to walk with them around his knees.

Happy Birthday Girls!!!

Busy, busy, busy!

So, I know that we are all super busy people with a million and one things going on in our lives, but that is the reason I have not been blogging. I have been super busy and I can get so much more done if I just don't turn my computer on!:)

In an attempt to save some cash, Kai is thinking about canceling our subscription to the Internet so I figure I better do as much as I can before this unfortunate event occurs.
The thought of life without the Internet is a little disheartening which is funny because I went without it until college. But now I live in a small town and I do a lot of Internet shopping. The Internet makes me feel connected to the world. What will I do when I can't read about my family and friends lives?????

This weekend we are having a mini rodeo to celebrate our girls' birthdays. I wish we could have invited everyone. Here is just a little hint of the birthday events: goat ropin' and mini horse riding . . . my girls should have been born into a ranchers family . . . I hope we still have our Internet after the party so I can post pictures.:)

Besides the following pictures these are the things that have been taking up my time:
in no particular order:
1.) Yard work - gotta do it before it's too hot!
2.) Throwing surprise b-day party for a good friend
3.) Making a really cute book for my cousin, Candi, from Heritage Makers!
4) Taking pictures of a really cute newborn and spending HOURS editing!
5.)Arguing with the Jehovah's Witnesses and then searching the bible for hours to make sure I was right . . . I was.
6.)Meeting our old friends, Dan and Angela Delong, who were here visiting from Texas - so good to see them. They both look great and there kids are so cute. Also visiting with our good fiends the Dyer's who also look great and have cute kids:)
7.) Lots of exercise . . . I am proud to say I have lost weight:)
8.) Reworking some plot lines in my book . . . it's a lot of work!

These are a few other things going on . . .

Bubba pushing his buddy Abigail . . . he only ran her into the wall a few times:(
Abigail giving Bubba a turn . . . he was heavy!

A few pictures from a fun photo shoot I did . . .

more at prettyasapicturebyamy.blogspot.com

Cambria going on her first field trip to a farm . . .

In an assembly on school spirit/crazy hair day ( I should have unleashed the fro, but last time I did that she cut it because it was in her eyes while she was coloring) . . . an author cam to their school and gave them autographed books.

I'll try to post a little more often until we lose the net:(

Eighteen Months

I'm a big kid now! I can do the slide!!

So very proud of himself!! He can't help but clap and shout, "YAY!"

(Cambria's hair was purple for crazy hair day- at least the tops of her buns were)

Bubba doesn't love to be in his high chair anymore- he wants to be where the action is!

I wish you could see his little body in motion- it is so cute to see him jump!

Below- He always has to be where Kiera is!

Yet another milestone has been reached in our home. I just really don't know where the time goes and why it didn't pass this quickly when I was in my boring high school math classes.

My little boy is 18 months old. He loves to jump on the tramp, climb the ladder to the slide, copy whatever Kiera is doing and he loves to play in the car and desperately loves to do things, anything outside! He doesn't say much yet, which is weird since my girls were so talkative by this age, but it does make him seem like more of a baby and I do like that. I don't want him to grow up. Can't we just hold our babies a little bit longer???

He has two favorite signs, the one for "more" and the one for "all-done". He also just recently learned to summon me with a small hand motion. He is a doll and I love him dearly. Oh, I also forgot to add that he fits right into our family- he loves to swim and has already started to try to go underwater and swim by himself.

18 months old also means nursery. His first experience was good until he tried to climb up the slide instead of the ladder and fell flat on his back. I had meant to warn them about my little rascal. So, instead of spending my last day in primary (because I was released after 4 years of teaching the same class) I spent it in nursery trying to convince him that all is well.

We'll try again next Sunday.:)

No training wheels!!!

Now we ride our bikes to school everyday!

February's Say What?

I am changing my "Seen and Heard" Title to "Say What?"

Here it goes:

Mom: Kiera, you need to eat carrots because they are good for your eyes.
Kiera: Mom, don't we have eye drops?

Kiera: Mom, could you please go outside?
Mom: Why?
Kiera: Can you just go?
Mom: Why so you can eat another cookie with out me seeing you do it?
Kiera: yes

Kai: (trying out the new hula hoop) Watch this! I'm the new hula hoop champion!
Cambria: (whispering to her friend) He's not, he can't really do it.

Kiera: When I grow up to be a teenager I want to live at Maama's (Kai's mom) house because she has a chocolate fountain.

Cambria: Mom, today we learned about the little tiny devil with wings who shoots people with his arrows to make them fall in love.
Mom: Little devil? Do you mean cupid the little angel?
Cambria: Oh right, I thought he was a little devil because he shoot people with arrows.

Kiera: My brain wasn't working. It told me to say poop, but I really meant potty.

Kiera: (recently pricked by a cactus- a few days later she notice cactus in a garden on our walk to school) Why did Heavenly Father make cactus? (Scorned)

Kiera: Cassidy, do you know that more than one cactus is called cacti?

Mom: Cambria, what do you want for dinner?
Cambria: Vegukeeny
Mom: . . .uhhh . . . oh, chicken broccoli fettuccine!

Background: At my aunt and uncle's church to see my cousin Matthew be ordained an elder. There was a girl with a seeing eye dog in the foyer.)
Cambria: Mom, can we go pet the dog?
Mom: no I don't think so, I think t is a working dog and I think we aren't supposed to pet them.
Cambria: what does it do for work?
Mom: It is a seeing eye dog. It leads people around who cant' see.
(5-10 minutes later)
Kiera: Mom, Uncle Sean was talking to that girl that has the dog who helps people who are invisible.

Kiera: (watching our ward v-day sock hop while eating cake) Ah, look at them dancing, they are so beautiful it makes me want to cry . . .

Mom: we have to slow down when we go over speed bumps so Bubba doesn't get bumped around (in the stroller)
Kiera: Whoa, that's deep, huh, mom.

Cassidy: (our little neighbor friend) I can't go to the rec center with you because my mom says we got no money.
Cambria: That's okay Cassidy, we can pay for you. We've got lots of money.

Kiera: (pouting) Everyone in this family has chocolate hair but me!

Cambria: Mom! Your getting skinny here . . . and (moving her hand around my body looking for a skinny part) . . . here. Maybe you need to jump rope more.


Happy Sunday!